Download the free app

The Origin Of The Zipper

October 7, 2015

Written byCuriosity Staff

Share

The "clasp locker" was invented in 1890 and patented in 1893 by inventor and Civil War veteran Whitcomb Judson. In 1913, the design was improved by Gideon Sundback, who used interlocking teeth instead of hooks and eyes to fasten the closure. A pair of galoshes that debuted around this time helped the zipper gain popularity, and get its new name. The shoes were called zippers because of the sound the fastener made, and the name stuck.